The Morning News from Wilmington, Delaware • 1

This weather Chance of showers, thunderstorms today; high around 80. Mostly cloudy tonight. Vol. 186 No. 34 Wilminntnn nAlntun pa JCriAnv Aumicf 0 IOTA mv 1 r-ontt liftma 15 cents: home delivery, 75 cents a week A I have I never been a quitter Compiled from dispatches WASHINGTON President Nixon resigned last night, saying he did so to heal the wounds of Watergate and to give America "a full-time president" in Gerald R.

Ford. Nixon urged Americans to rally behind Ford, who will assume the powers of the presidency at noon today, the effective hour of Nixon's resignation. Nixon said he would have preferred to fight the virtually certain impeachment that awaited him in Congress, "no matter the personal agony that would have been involved." But he said the interests of the nation demanded that he step down, to end the diversions of scandal that preoccupied the White House and the impeachment process that kept Congress from other duties. "America needs a full-time president and a full-time Congress, particularly at this time with the problems we face at home and abroad," Nixon said. Ford watched on television at his suburban Alexandria, home, then stepped outside and pledged his best efforts for "what's good for America and what's good for the world." Ford announced that Henry A.

Kissinger will remain as secretary of state (Page 2) and said that together they will work "in the pursuit of peace as we have achieved in the past." Nixon had said he hopes world peace will be a lasting monument to his IVz years in the White House. And Ford said Nixon "made one of the great personal sacrifices for the country and one of the finest See FORD Page 2, Col. 1 president I must put the interest of America first. Richard M. Nixon Aug.

8, 1974 tUffflSZmimmf liiiit, l-'" JK Gerald R. Ford Richard M. Nixon It history day ike none in was a harass President Nixon. I don't believe this group will be large in numbers. He will be allowed to go in peace.

The country should then turn itself to constructive tasks." Nevertheless, the trauma remained. Never before in the history of the Republic had a president been driven from office. Only eight times had a president failed to complete his term. Four were assassinated-Lincoln, Garfield, McKin-ey, Kennedy. Four died of disease Harrison, Taylor, Harding, Franklin Roosevelt.

But only Richard Nixon had resigned in the face of inevitable impeachment and almost certain conviction by the Senate. of national reconciliation and healing were heard, even the hope that in leaving office after such a stormy passage, the president might at last achieve the goal that had been a campaign slogan in 1968 bringing the country together. House Minority Leader John Rhodes, who had called for the president's impeachment earlier this week, confessed to feelings of "sadness and deep regret. At the same time, I'm glad for the country in two ways. "The matter is going to be over with and we have a completely capable man to take over.

I'm optimistic about the future I look for a healing time. There are those who would continue to Associated Press reported, there had been an emotional scene in the White House living quarters. The president had made his decision to resign and the family took it hard. Tears welled up in the eyes of Pat Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower and when the president embraced his other daughter, Tricia Cox, she broke down and wept without control. Late yesterday there were other farewells.

The leaders of Congress were called in for a last meeting. A time was set aside last night for a chance to gather privately with old friends and supporters. It was civil and done with dignity. In response, themes of hope for a kind were now emotionally spent. They struggled to keep from crying as they performed their last tasks for the president.

It was an orderly thing, this passing of power. The decision was made known early, the time and place announced, the necessary meetings held. Vice President Ford met with Richard Nixon at midday and then canceled a political trip to the West. There were routine announcements of changes among federal judges, the Atomic Engergy Commission, the National Science Foundation, the Combined Federal Campaign for the National Capital Area, the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission. The night before, Saul Pett of the Nixon's fall stirs nation, world The day before his announcement, he had been warned by Republican congressional leaders that only 10 of the 435 House members were likely to oppose impeachment and that only 15 of 100 senators would vote to acquit him of "high crimes and misdemeanors" obstruction of justice, the abuse of governmental power and contempt of Congress.

Nevertheless, he could have chosen to "tough it out," to "stonewall it" and to take himself and the nation through the long ordeal of impeachment and trial. He could have raised the specter of crises in a last effort to rally support. In the end, he chose the other course. After the final blow had fallen on Monday with the release of the most, damaging of his secretly recorded conversations, he moved swiftly. John Rhodes said yesterday that the decision probably was sealed Sunday at Camp David.

By Wednesday, when Rhodes met with Nixon at the White House, it was apparent that his presi- dency was at an end: "The president knew that the situation was hopeless. He really behaved like a champion and made it easy on all of us. It was the president who said there were only 10 votes for him in the House. I didn't disagree with that although I actually thought there were more. Just before he left the president said, "Just make it plain that whatever decision I make will be completely in the national Until the end, his daughter, Julie had urged him to stay on and make a fight in the Senate.

So had a tiny band of', congressmen and one of them, Earl; Landgrebe, got one of the last of the presidential letters yesterday. Landgrebe had said that the "liberals are lynching our president" and Nixon replied to him: "I cannot predict whether your comments will go down in history but I want to assure you, they will remain forever in my heart and in the hearts of all the Nixons." The manner of his departure was regarded everywhere as an affirmation of the stability of the American system. The constitutional processes, it was said, had proved adequate. The Congress had risen to its mission. The country had reacted with understanding and maturi- SeeADAY-Page 2, Col.

3 By Kichard lhirwood and Ilaynes Johnson Washington Post Service WASHINGTON When the day finally came, the anger and tensions and recriminations that had so enveloped this poisonous capital for weeks had been subdued in the solemnity of change. A sense of calm and a tenuous spirit of conciliation began to emerge. There was no chorus of jubilation in Washington and no cries for vengeance or retribution. There was an absence of turmoil, mobs, violence, massive protests. The crowds that had begun gathering at the White House on Tuesday remained quiet, solemn and patient.

They were witnesses to history, yes, and some day they would tell their grandchildren about it. But now on this Thursday, Aug. 8, 1974, they seemed more preoccupied by personal feelings of sorrow and sadness. "Think of it." said a tourist from Wheaton, 111. "The most beautiful building in the country, right across the street, and the man that lives there, that has worked all his life to get there, has to give it up It's a sad terrible thing, but he brought it all on himself.

tBut it makes me sad that he has to be humiliated like this." Another visitor who had driven up from Myrtle Beach, S.C., was philosophical: "Our country will survive. In a way, this is like the Kennedy assassination. It is a sad time for everyone but we'll pull through." By nightfall, the crowd had swelled to huge proportions blocking traffic on historic Pennsylvania filling up beautiful Lafayette Park with its flower beds and benches and statues. On Capitol Hill, where the Congress had been engaged in bitter debate for months and engaged, too, in a great constitutional struggle with the Executive, there were bipartisan moves to grant immunity for the 36th man ever to serve as president of the United States. Inside the White House, there were no last-minute theatrics, no public relations gimmicks, no eoyness about what was to happen and no rancorous remarks about enemies.

Ronald Ziegler and Gerald Warren who, as presidential spokesmen, had spent the last months in acrimonious confrontations with news reporters, business near Annapolis, instructed his secretary to give that message to anyone who called for his reaction to the presidential developments. The American political system drew both praise and criticism in Europe yesterday for the press freedom and checks and balances which brought down President Nixon. "Watergate, in the end, must ghie plenty of encouragement to people around the world," said Jose Maria Armero, president of the Spanish news See NIXON-Page 2, Col. 6 foreign policy, no Democrat will be able to defeat him in 1976 because the country will be so grateful." Rep. Bella S.

Abzug, an outspoken supporter of impeachment, said constitutional government and the impeachment process had been vindicated by Nixon's resignation. "The would-be king is gone," she said. "Long live the presidency." In Crofton, former Vice President Spiro Agnew said yesterday he had "no comment" on President Nixon's imminent resignation. Agnew, reached at his export-import thy at all for the dreadful conduct of those associates who helped to bring him to this pass," he said. "The president's resignation is clearly in the best interest of the nation," said Sen.

Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. "I am sure that Congress and the country will close ranks behind President Ford as America enters a period of national healing and reconciliation." Sen. Edward Brooke, one of the first Republicans to call for Nixon's resignation, said that if Ford "is able to curb inflation and improve the economy and if he continues the Nixon-Kissinger Compiled from dispatches WASIIINGTON-Congressional leaders of both parties received President Nixon's resignation announcement with relief last night and said they hoped for an era of national reconciliation in the presidency of Gerald R. Ford.

"There is a sadness over the full House that such a thing happened in America," said House Democratic leader Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. "Everybody is glad in a way that the climax is passed, but everybody is also sad." Even before Nixon's address to the nation a virtual consensus appeared in Congress that the American people with some lingering bitterness would accept his departure as the correct step to restore confidence in government and finally end the Watergate scandals. Many Republicans said the widely predicted GOP debacle in this fall's elections now can be avoided. Senate Republican leader Hugh Scott said Nixon's decision "now opens the way to a healing and mending process under President Ford." "The country has been on the verge of a nervous breakdown long enough," Scott said.

"I have the greatest sympathy for the president and his family, but no sympa Tapes of his conversations brought Nixon's downfall Page 9 Nixon faced tax troubles as well as Watergate Page 10 The 'Saturday night massacre' was an early blow to the public's belief in Nixon's innocence Page 1 1 Agnew's resignation was a portent of doom Page 12 Text of Nixon's speech last night Page 13 Two reporters helped uncover the scandal Page 16 Sports fans react to Nixon decision Page 33 Although Nixon easily carried Delaware in 1968 and 1972, his support has almost disappeared since Page 3 Nixon's political career encompassed both victory and defeat and a scandal that ended it Page 4 Patricia Nixon but few others remained loyal to her husband to the bitter end Page 6 Nixon's involvement in Watergate Page 7 Gerald Ford is a man known for his loyalty, his conservatism and his Midwestern honesty Page 8 A chronology of the Watergate scandal Page 8.